Welcome to DBSTalk

Welcome to DBSTalk. Our community covers all aspects of video delivery solutions including: Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Cable Television, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). We also have forums to discuss popular television programs, home theater equipment, and internet streaming service providers. Members of our community include experts who can help you solve technical problems, industry professionals, company representatives, and novices who are here to learn.

Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!

Isn't it nice/cruel of DirecTV to put HD episodes of BBC's Top Gear on the Audience Network?

Seems bizarre that they promo special HD run of a tent pole program for BBC when we don't get BBC America HD on the service.

What's the message to the DirecTV customer supposed to be here?

I just cancelled my BBC America recordings and added the Audience HD ones. Now I won't be watching the commercials on BBC America. (I generally play them when I am on the computer, and often let the commercials run because I don't care. So I was actually watching the BBC America commercials)

As soon as BBC America is in HD, I'll re-enable Top Gear recordings on that channel. Don't know what the message is here, I'm just glad I don't have to put up with SD any longer when it comes to Top Gear.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.

Though I just looked at one on the app, it said original air date was July, so it's not the newest season?

BBC America is probably ahead of AUD. Quite frankly, I don't care. If I wanted the newest of the newest I'd just torrent it from a UK torrent site. To me HD is more important, so I'll just record them from AUD for now.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.

It looks like the July series, which is one behind. Which isn't actually all that bad, BBC America has been years behind in the past. I honestly don't think they still have aired last years Christmas special.

Are these current episodes? Does this mean they are getting the BBC HD feed? Or are they using Blu-ray?

When a TV station buys the rights to a program, they don't get it through a "feed" of any kind, they just get sent some form of media. It's possible that these days the video source is gotten via the internet, I know this is done these days.

The BBC HD feed, being a British tax-payer feed, cannot be received on the North American continent. Of course it is possible for anyone with access to satellite bandwidth to relay the signal, but it isn't done by the BBC.

As far as AUDHD goes, I think they just get some form of media with the show by courier. Just like banks mailing out actual paper checks when you "pay your bill online", in the back end things are often done a lot more spartan then you think.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.

Yes, FWIW, unless you download you will never see the original BBC broadcasts here in the U.S. for no other reason than the BBC always changes the music (a big part of this series) as it does not pay for worldwide rights.

And of course...there have to be commercial breaks inserted. The the past BBCA has actually lengthened the program to 1:15 so the entire program and the commercials can be broadcast. I'm not sure if that's still the case, though.

I watched Top Gear in HD for the first time..... (besides going to my mother-in-law with Time Warner Cable). What a relief! A lime green Lambo just looks better in HD.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.

What? The UK charges a license fee on television and radio receivers in order to fund the BBC, but that fact has nothing to do with whether or not BBC broadcasts can be received in North America.

No it does. British law specifically states that the license fee that UK customers pay for the BBC cannot be used to fund transmission/receipt beyond the borders of the UK. In other words, the money that has been received from UK citizens, can't be used to pay for feeds to other countries who don't pay this fee.

BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, Prime, and other BBC channels can be received over the European continent on the Astra satellites, but there is nothing set up (nor will there be) to transmit the BBC feeds to North America. If you are a commercial company and you fall within the satellite reception area of the Astra satellites, you can get BBC channels for local re-distribution, but that is only possible because the satellite already covers most of Europe, no extra money needs to be spent there.

There are commercial channels through which feeds can be purchased (think sporting events, news events, etc), but there is currently no provision to receive the actual BBC channels anywhere in North America.

BBC America is really an American commercial venture that buys, among others, British TV programming from the BBC, ITV, Channel4, and other UK TV stations.

It will also directly go against the commercial interests of BBC America, and BBC Canada (as well as American TV producers who have sold shows to the BBC for viewing in the UK) if the BBC itself would be able to broadcast to the North American continent.

As a resident of both Europe and the U.S., I also know that the reverse is also not possible: One cannot receive anything from Dish, DirecTV, or other American satellite providers, even if you lug all your 110v equipment over there, and use a satellite dish that is 30 feet wide.

[Disclaimer] The definition of "soon" is based solely on DirecTV's interpretation of the word, and all similarities with dictionary definitions of the word "soon" are purely coincidental and should not be interpreted as a time frame that will come to pass within a reasonable amount of time.